Supermarket & Grocery Industry News

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Average manufacturer payments for unsaleables dipped slightly to 1.05 percent of sales from 1.13 percent between 2004 and 2005, according to The 2006 Unsaleables Benchmark Report, released yesterday at the Joint Unsaleables Conference here by the Grocery Manufacturers of America and the Food Marketing Institute.

CHELMSFORD, Mass. -- Workforce management software vendor Kronos Inc. yesterday said it agreed to acquire Portland, Ore.-based Unicru, Inc., a provider of hiring management solutions for $150 million in cash.

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Average manufacturer payments for unsaleables dipped slightly to 1.05 percent of sales from 1.13 percent between 2004 and 2005, according to The 2006 Unsaleables Benchmark Report, released yesterday at the Joint Unsaleables Conference here by the Grocery Manufacturers of America and the Food Marketing Institute.

MONTVALE, N.J. --The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. here will once again sponsor the annual Food Emporium Golf Classic to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). On July 17 more than 400 golfers from the vendor community will tee off in a charity golf tournament at Fiddler's Elbow Country Club in Far Hills, N.J.

LOS ANGELES -- Non-membership warehouse retailer Smart & Final is already seeing improved efficiency and visibility in its supply chain via a new system installed just this past March, according to Tony Kleiner, dir. of buying and supply chain projects, who discussed the system during a Web conference held yesterday.

CINNCINNATTI -- Kroger Manufacturing, a division of The Kroger Co. based here, named Crown Holdings, Inc.'s food packaging U.S. subsidiary with its "Distinguished Supplier Award" and was also named the chain's overall "Corporate Supplier of the Year."

MODESTO, Calif. -- The Almond Board of California here said the findings of a new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry show almonds contain antioxidant levels similar to green tea and broccoli.

WASHINGTON -- The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) yesterday submitted testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee, urging the successful passage of the comprehensive U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA).